Coffee and Thunder

The door chimed as she walked in, and she was instantly hit

with the alluring full-bodied aroma of coffee. It was a warm and

welcoming aroma that made her feel euphoric every time she was in

the shop. She headed toward the counter.

“Hello, and welcome to Cups and Spoons. What can I get for

you today?” the barista asked.

“I’ll take a large caramel latte made with almond milk and an

extra espresso shot, please.”

She handed the payment to the barista as she rang up her order,

and she then moved to the side to look at the tempting sweets

through the glass display case. Her favorite, the glazed maple pecan

loaf slice, seemed to be calling her name. Avi shook her head. She

had just been talking about how she needed to lose weight this

morning. Indulging in tempting sweets like that would not help

her cause, so she looked away and stared out of the glass wall near

the tables at the side of the coffee shop. The chime of the door

sounded in her ears, signaling the entrance of another patron. She

slowly turned back around, intending to see who had just walked

in; however, the traitorous glazed maple pecan loaf slice decided to

whisper her name again at that very moment, causing her to pause

and look through the glass at it with longing.

Avi took the few steps back over to the barista who was preparing

her latte.

“You know what, on second thought, I’d like to add a slice of

the glazed maple pecan loaf to my order. Thanks.”

“Sure, no problem,” the barista replied absentmindedly as she

continued to work on preparing her drink.

At that moment, a soft growl sounded from behind her. Avi

hesitated as she reached across the counter to hand the young lady

her debit card again. What the fuck? As she turned to see who had

made the strange sound, her heart stopped. She could literally feel

her stomach bottom out and her heart rate speed up as warmth

coursed through her body. The patron who must’ve been behind

her had left the shop as quickly as he’d come in. She was only able

to get a brief glance at him as he quickly made his exit, but she

could’ve sworn it was the man from her dream. Avi’s brow furled

in confusion as she looked at the now closed and vacant entrance to

the coffee shop.

“I’m trippin’,” she whispered to herself, shaking her head.

“Here you go, ma’am.”

Avi turned back around and smiled faintly at the barista, who

was now handing over her latte and the slice of sinful indulgence.

“Thank you,” she said hesitantly as she placed her debit card

back into her purse and took the items.

Avi walked over to one of the nearby tables and placed her food

and drink on it as she leaned against the glass wall, craning her neck

as she looked up and down the streets and sidewalks beside the coffee

shop. She was hoping to get another glimpse of the man who had

seemingly walked right out of her dreams and into her reality.

“Okay, girl, get it together. You don’t wanna be rocking slowly

in a padded cell,” she mumbled to herself as she sat down.

She took a sip of her latte and followed it with a morsel of the

pastry. She couldn’t help but continue glancing out of the window.

Although she couldn’t see anyone who fit the description of her

mysterious dream lover, she also couldn’t shake the feeling that

someone was out there in the dark, watching her.